Filing cabinet



Feb. 7, 1928.

c. c. CARPENTER FILING CABINET Filed Feb.27. 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Feb. 7', m2. 1,658,223

C. C. CARPENTER FILING CABINET Filed Feb.27. 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 3 t mentor upon the extended side Patented Feb. 7, 1928.

UNITED STATES,

1' 1,658,223 PATENT, OFFICE.

CHARLES C. CARPENTER, or CINCINNATI, OHIO, ASSIGNOR, BY mnsnn ASSIGNMENTS, TO WILSON-JONES COMPANY, or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A oonronarron or MASSA- CI-IUSETTS.

Application filedFebruary This invention relates to improvements in filing trays and particularly to a tray having a hinged side adaptable'either as a tray side or as an extension to the base of the tray for supporting and aligning filed sheets in offset work.

F flicient tiling and auditing maneuvers require to a certain extent facility to quickly and easily handle and arrange the sheet stack. The sheets are generally enclosed well within the outline of the tray body and for this reason are difficult to see. and handle, and auditing frequently requires the removal of sheets and consequent filing disorder.

Trays of suilicient size to allow manipulation of the filed sheets within the tray would naturally be bulky, taking up too much space and would not permit the sheets to be placed well within the vision. It is extremely desirable to be able to oli'set filed sheets a certain amount from the sheet stack and to align the same for ease in checking and reading.

An object of the present invention is to provide a. filing tray which has a side hinged for forming an extension to the base of the tray, adapting the filed sheets to be pulled out beyond the tray outline and supported to expose a portion of the sheet and also to provide means for limiting the amount of offset of the sheets and aligning the same for ease in reading and handling.

Further objects and advantages will be more fully set forth in the description of the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, in which:

Figure 1 is a general perspective view illustrating the improved form of tray and showing the drop side in use.

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken through the drop side and showing it in closed position.

Figure 3 is a top plan view of a portion of the tray showing the drop side in swungdown position.

Figure 4: is a sectional view taken on line 1-4 of Fig. 3.

Figure 5 is a sectional view taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 4, and similar to Fig. 2, but

showing the drop side in swung-down position for offsetting filing sheets.

The type of tray in which the improvement is embodied is formed of metal, rec- FILING CABINET.

27, 1926. SerialNo. 91,245.

is constructed of sheet-steel welded together to form a rigid box-like structure and has the shouldered rim 3 for receiving a cover (not shown).

The stacking by means of the of be manipulated with ease during operations. The side 6 is cut away near its ends, the cut-away portion being hinged at its base as at 7, the hinge portion 8 of the mechanism when released handle 1, loosens the stack side constituting the drop side. The drop side when extended forms a continuation of the base or floor 9 of the tray, being in the same plane therewith. Means for limiting the drop of the hinged portion and. supporting the same is provided at each end thereof in the form of brackets 10 secured to the inner surface of the drop side. These extending brackets 10 have pivoted thereto,

latch members 11 which have flanges 12 in tegral therewith for engaging theinner surfaces of the side 6 at the cut-away edges 13. An abutment member 1d for limiting the offsetting of the sheets 5 is provided on the inner or upper surface of the drop side. This abutment member extends the greater part of the length of the drop side and is hinged thereto. hen the abutment memher is in use as an offset-limiting means, it xtends upwardly at right angles to the upper surface of the drop side and when not in use lies fiat thereagainst. Means for sustaining the abutment member in upright position is provided in the form of a stop 15 which prevents outward movement, and a spring detent 16 secured to the upper surface of the drop side and engaging the end of the abutment member, for sustaining the abutment member in upright position.

Latches 17 are pivoted to the inner surface and at the top of the fixed portions of the side 6 and overhang the edges 13 for engaging the notched members 18 on the inner surface of the drop side as a locking means when the drop side is in closed position. A rod (not shown) extends through the apersheets 5 and permits the sheet stack. to

ture 19 in the tray front and the apertures 20 in the sheets When the sheets are placed back in filed position Within the outline of the tray, and is locked Within the aperture 19 by means of the lock 21 for preventing removal of the filing sheets. The drop side has the shouldered rim 3 extending along its upper edge so that when it is in closed position there is a continuous shouldered rim around the entire upper edge of the tray for receiving a cover.

, A base extension is thus provided as a part oi. the tray structure for offsetting and aligning filed sheets. When the operator dc- ,s to do Work requiring offsetting, he unlatches the droa side allowin it to extend itself, sets up the abutment member on the drop side and removes the rod for loelrii'ig,

the sheets within the tray. Since the means J! a L '4. c i .11 .ior locking the Sl1GQLS .v1.illll1 the tray is or no importance in the present invention, these pznrts have not been shown in detail.

Having described my invention I claim: 1. A filing tray comprising a sheet-filing cor partment having one side adapted to form an extension to the tray base for supq iortin ofi'sct filed sheets and an aliuitu'leut hinged to said movable side, said abutment member adaptable for aligning said filed sheets, and latching means forsustaining said movable side in tray-side or base-ex- V.

ension relation to said tray. r V 4 A- filing tray, comprising, a sheet-filing compartment having aside hinged at its base and swingable thereon to form an eX- tension to the base of the filing compartment as a support for filing sheets offset from the sheets stacked Within the tray, an abutment member hinged to the upper or innor face of the hinged side and adapted to be set'in upright position on the swungdowntray side for aligning ofiset filing sheets. I v

In Witness whereof, I- hereunto subscribe my name.

ei-matnso. CARPENTER 

